(Site under intermittent construction. Changes may appear randomly at any time.)

A word or two about this Blog site:

I've resisted creating my own place here in cyberspace for some time. There are many brilliant, articulate people writing about what's going on in public education. Mountains of data and knowledge that expose the "education reform" movement as neither can be found all over the internet. I highly recommend you check out dianeravitch.com or curmudgucation.blogspot.com, for starters.

I would like to use this site as a way to rant a little and to pose my own questions, as issues in my daily teaching life impel me to rant and I do like to ask questions. And my friends and family may have grown weary of me filling their inboxes. I also like to muse about possible answers, and hope I will be heard in cyberspace by at least a few interested readers.

Having said that, I seek communication in writing that moves the conversation forward, even towards actionable results. I know I can't control writers I've never met and never will meet, but if you choose to comment, I encourage you to help us understand your point of view. Snark is welcomed. Rudeness is not.

Thanks for reading!

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Let's speak out with one voice. Any one else interested?

Have you seen this video of the Congressional grilling of the U.S. Department of Education’s Chief Information Officer Danny Harris and Acting Secretary of Education John King?

To quote the inimitable Diane Ravitch: "The entire discussion is startling. I won’t say anything more. Just watch it. If you stay for ten minutes, you won’t want to stop."
 I had only intended to watch a little bit, but I was completely riveted to my screen. If you haven't seen this and you have a little time to spend, I highly recommend it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxswF6d-CQY&spfreload=10&app=desktop

It’s been hours since I watched the hearings and my head is still spinning.
I may be naive. I may not realize how often hearings of this kind occur. But I am absolutely stunned that this can be made public, and then nothing happens as a consequence.
I’ve witnessed first hand the robotic, script-reading responses of John King when he worked in NYS. Seeing it on film in front of a Congressional committee was truly amazing.

If this hearing does speak the truth about impropriety, bad judgement, mis-management, heads-turned-the-other-way, etc. in the DoE, then what can we do about it? We must act in the face of this information. So much of what’s being foisted on American public school students and teachers is integrally connected to increasing the use of technology, data-based assessments, and on-line everything. We can’t let this get buried.

Can we speak as a united voice? Can this contribute to the wider discussion of how far afield the DoE has strayed from the true interests of America’s school children and their families? Does it help to seek further response?

I would like to propose a weekly “Day of Action.”  Days devoted to writing or calling our representatives and other important people with a focused attention on a particular issue.
For example, we could begin by writing our State Representatives thanking them for participating in this hearing that exposes serious concerns in the Department of Education.  Further, we could together, as one voice, urge continued questioning of Department of Education practice and intent.
Is anyone out there interested in participating?  I would be happy to put more time into organizing this effort, if there are interested parties.

Leave me a comment below if you’re interested.
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6 comments:

  1. UnknownFebruary 14, 2016 at 11:44 AM

    Thanks for your blog. I just read the short story you included, Chocolate Babka, which was well written. We all have moments like that, I think, somewhere along the line in life.

    Action sounds good though I don't know what sort of action.

    Like you I've thought about writing my own blog but haven't for some of the same reasons you note above.

    I've written to a heap of elected officials during the past few years. Sometimes I get the feeling someone is listening.....other times not. Though, of course, when large numbers of citizens write it does have an impact -in the aggregate.

    I keep thinking that there has to be something new, something oblique or asymmetrical that educators could do to make a real difference in defending public education. (I'm thinking about something like the character Kwai Chang Caine would do on the 1970s TV show Kung Fu....though I could be dating myself with that reference. Ha ha.) See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCQuETl2ho8

    Actually, I'd love to see Caine take on that blowhard Donald Trump, too.

    I'm on Facebook under my name Best of luck to you!

    -John Ogozalek

    ReplyDelete
  2. CherylFebruary 14, 2016 at 12:29 PM

    I have written many elected officials and most of the time I do not get a response or a generic one that shows that elected person never even read my letter.
    I’d gladly be part of a group that at least tries hard to enlighten others as well as correct the impropriety.

    ReplyDelete
  3. GregFuchsFebruary 14, 2016 at 5:15 PM

    Yes, I'm interested. What to do? Organize to stop nomination of King as DOE Chair? Can that be done?

    ReplyDelete
  4. UnknownFebruary 14, 2016 at 8:30 PM

    Yes interested
    What next?

    ReplyDelete
  5. UnknownFebruary 14, 2016 at 8:30 PM

    Yes interested
    What next?

    ReplyDelete
  6. aliceFebruary 14, 2016 at 8:56 PM

    I'm putting together a proposed message for people to use and a list of contacts to write to. The first proposed action will be in response to the Congressional hearing by the Ethics Committee that took place two weeks ago. (Please see link on Diane Ravitch's site if you haven't heard about this yet.)
    I'll have the info posted here on Wednesday.
    Together, our voices are stronger and louder.
    Thanks for your interest! (and please check back Wednesday...)

    ReplyDelete

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